A Clear Plan – CAC Living Water Devotional
THE LIVING WATER
CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Thursday, December 14, 2023
A CLEAR PLAN
MEMORISE: And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules (2 Timothy 2:5).
READ: 2 Timothy 2:3, 4
EXPOSITION:
Moving from the imagery of a soldier in our text for today, Paul jumped straight to the imagery of an athlete in verse 5, “And also anyone if competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules”. If the imagery of a soldier seeking only to please his commanding officer teaches us the need to have a clear purpose, the imagery of an athlete teaches us the need to have a clear plan for training.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-26, Paul wrote “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we, for an imperishable crown. Therefore, I run thus, not not with uncertainty. Thus I fight not as one who beats the air”. Having a clear purpose is insufficient if one does not have a systematic way of training in order to reach that goal. For example, you may desire to run a full marathon (42km) but if your training never crosses a 10km mark, there is no way you can meet your eventual goal.
Likewise, God may have awakened in us the desire and need to prepare ourselves to be a holy and blameless Brides, but our desire alone is insufficient, if we have no concrete plans and processes to get ready for Jesus’ return.
Someone wisely said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. For a start, do you have a daily and regular habit of reading or listening to God’s Word? If not, schedule it into your calendars. Habits are only formed after an extended time. Begin by reading God’s Word consistently daily. May God help you.
SUGGESTED HYMN FOR TODAY: CAC GHB 519
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Lord, let Your purpose for my eternal and immediate race be clear to me.
2. Lord, give me the discipline and persistence I need to complete my race according to Your rules.
3. Lord, help all the Christian athletes to stand up for righteousness and holiness, never to bow to pressures from the world.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Colossians 2-4;
1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:12
May you and I receive the grace for the race, His grace is sufficient for us in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen and Shalom.
